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Lunchtime Tourist

Summer's bright blue sky and vivid palette of blossoms provide enough color these days, but in Minnesota's stark monotonous winter, brilliant paintings are as necessary as full-spectrum lights. Tucked up on the skyway level of US Bancorp building is a refreshing burst of color even for this glorious weather.

Painter Deanna Sirlin was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1958 and has received many awards and honors, including her listing in the prestigious book "Who's Who of American Art."

"Curvilinear #1 and #2" are two works of art each composed of 24 panels that project off the wall in varying widths. Circular, swirling paint strokes on the front surface make each a work on its own, as well as fitting into a larger whole. The artwork appears to be more like a sculpture than a painting.

Of her work, Sirlin says, "I want the paint and the color to envelop you . . . [so the viewer] discover[s] all the roots and fissures contained within each brushstroke."

Sirlin's work has been shown in exhibits in her current hometown of Atlanta, and throughout the United States and abroad. Paintings and public artworks reside in many collections, including the High Museum of Art (Atlanta), Dulles Airport and Larson Juhl's corporate headquarters.

A recent large-scale public project involved digitally scanning and enlarging the artist's paintings. The files were then printed on transparent material and adhered to curved atrium windows at the High Museum. Originally intended as a temporary artwork, the museum has since bought the piece for its permanent collection. This kind of art poses archival issues for curators. However, the prints are guaranteed a 30-year lifespan, and if they fade, they can simply be printed again.

(Thank you, US Bancorp building, for making such thorough signage for this art!)